The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-05-16
GREAT PICTURES AND. THEIR COST.
The illustrated Lecture Last Evening by DR.,
Corning at Plymouth Church.

Rev. DR.. j. T.. Corning, of Terre Haute lect-
ured at Plymouth Church last evening, his sub
ject being 1.-THE Tragedy of the Ages"-the
scenes attending the trial and crucifxion of
Christ-illustrated by stereoptican views of the
paintings of the great painters, who have put
these scenes upon canvas. In beginning his lect-
ure the Doctor spoke of ancient art, citing the
fact that painting in Grecian art fell far below
sculpture, the greatest of Greek painters having
little or no knowledge of perspective. The
greatest amount of money ever paid for paint
ing quarter of million, given by Alexan-
der the Great to Apelles for representing Alex
ander as Jupiter welding the thunderbolts
Coming down to modern times. the largest
price paid for painting by
the French government of $4,000
for Murillo's Immaculate Conception" which
is supreme achievement OF one
of the greatest painters of modern times. Rus
kin says work of art is to be valued for what it
will teach-that the money value of work of
art is to be measured by the amount Of moral IN
struction contained IN It. The works which
ought to command the highest prices in the mar
ket are those which represent humanity in its
supreme moments of faith and heroism. Gabriel
Marks masterpiece known as The Last Token"
is one filling these requirements. 1t represents
Christian girl in the days of Nero in the Coils
scum about to be devoured by wild beasts Prob
ably nothing was ever put in single human fig
nre that, with its surroundings, gives a
more remarkable representation of faith
and heroism NJ, than is shown ss IN % tins 5nn
and today, doubt, number of buyers
would be willing to give ten times that amount
for it; and it is worth it Three pictures sold by
three artists yet alive have brought great prices.
The first is ''The Horse Fair, by Rosa Bonheur,
which sold Tor 900 to Cornelius Vanderbilt;
the second Friedla9d or ls ee o6 by Meis so
third, Christ Before Plate" by Michael Mum
kacsy. to John Wanamaker, of Philadelphia, for
100000 There is not a reasonable doubt that
. these are the greatest works art has produced
in this century The Horse Fair is to be
measured by the highest lesson to be derived
from quadrupeds; the second picture. Fried
land" is exhibition of royal egotism, the
greatest egotist of history sitting on a horse.
with throng of shrieking idolators on wonder
full horses galloping before him. There is no
moral lesson in it, unless it be of reflected pa
triotism, and s66. 900 seems very high price to
paw for such picture
The third picture. Christ Before Plate" is
truly great. This was the first thrown upon the
screen by the stereopticon, and the lecturer de-
scribed the great picture and the characters it
portra yed with elouuence and feeling. He then
separated from its surroundings in the picture
the figure of Christ, and as it was thrown upon
the canvas described the majesty of the Re-
oeemer. This followed by Gustave Dores
most ambitious and impressive picture of Christ
leaving the PrBtorium his way Calvary.
The next picture shown went back to the golden
age of painting and represented Raphaels great
painting which is now IN the Royal Museum at
Madrid, Christ Sinking Under the Burden of
the Cross" This painting made for the
Church of San Maria, at Palermo, and the vessel
which it was shipped was wrecked, every soul
on board being lost, the painting alone being
saved. 1t was stolen by Napoleon l, but re-
stored after the downfall of the Emperor
The next picture shown representation
of the greatest masterpiece of the seventeenth
century, 1.-The Deposition from the Cross" by
Rubens, now the chief glory of the cathedral at
Antwerp. Rubens. in building his fine residence
in that city (which still stands) CHANGED to build
a small piece of ground belonging to a guild
of gunsmiths, and the great painter painted for
the guild this picture to pay for the ground thus
taken by mistake. The picture a noble pay
rnent, and would. to-day, bring more money than
the magnificent mansion that Rubens built The
last picture thrown upon the canvas by the stere-
opticon was Raphaels '.Entom bmenJ" which is
Eow in the Borghese Gallery. at Rome.